Afenifere, Akeredolu, Mimiko, Mourn Fasehun

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has described the demise of the founder and National Leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Federick Fasehun, as shocking and a great loss to Ondo State and the entire country.

83-year-old Fasehun died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

A statement issued at the weekend by the goveronor’s spokesperson, Segun Ajiboye, noted that the late Fasehun would be greatly missed by the people.

“Governor Akeredolu describes the late Fasehun as a disciplined citizen, nationalist to the core and intelligent medical practitioner who used his energy and other resources to fight for the interests of the common man.

“As a politician, the governor is of the opinion that the late Fasehun’s argument for egalitarian society where merit and equity are made parametric conditions for selecting leaders or people’s representatives will continue to dominate socio-political discourse.”

Akeredolu also noted that social scientists will remember Fasehun as a detribalised Nigeria “whose place in the nation’s political history cannot be wished away”.

Also, former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, described the death of the OPC leader as the departure of a committed patriot and a worthy elderstatesman with love and passion for the progress of the nation.

A statement by Mimiko read: “Death took Baba Fasehun away at a time the nation needed him to help provide workable contributions to the restructuring of Nigeria, now that majority of the people have seen the need for restructuring, which is one of his utmost agitations.

“While his death will rightly be seen as a great loss to his immediate family, the people of Ondo State and the nation at large, it will no doubt create a vacuum in Yorubaland and the nation.”

Meanwhile, the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, on its own described Fasehun’s death as “shattering news”.

Yinka Odumakin, the Afenifere Publicity Secretary, said the deceased would be greatly missed.

“He was a prominent Yoruba and Nigerian citizen who dedicated his entire life to the service of humanity. We will surely miss his great works, which will continue to speak for him forever. He lived for the cause of the poor. May God be with his family at this period and comfort them,” he said.